Big Endians and Little Endians Passage from Gulliver’s Travels 

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Besides, our Histories of six thousand Moons make no mention of any otherRegions, than the two great Empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Which two mightyPowers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate War forsix and thirty Moons past.

It began upon the following Occasion. It is allowed on all Hands, that the primitiveway of breaking Eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger End: But hispresent Majesty's Grand-father, while he was a Boy, going to eat an Egg, andbreaking it according to the ancient Practice, happened to cut one of his Fingers.Whereupon the Emperor his Father published an Edict, commanding all hisSubjects, upon great Penaltys, to break the smaller End of their Eggs.

The People so highly resented this Law, that our Histories tell us there have beensix Rebellions raised on that account; wherein one Emperor lost his Life, andanother his Crown. These civil Commotions were constantly fomented by theMonarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the Exiles always fled forRefuge to that Empire. It is computed, that eleven thousand Persons have, atseveral times, suffered Death, rather than submit to break their Eggs at the smallerEnd.

Many hundred large Volumes have been published upon this Controversy: But thebooks of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden, and the whole Party renderedincapable by Law of holding Employments. During the Course of these Troubles, theEmperors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their Ambassadors, accusing usof making a Schism in Religion, by offending against a fundamental Doctrine of ourgreat Prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth Chapter of the Brundrecal (which is theirAlcoran.) This, however, is thought to be a meer Strain upon the Text: For theWords are these: That all true Believers shall break their Eggs at the convenientEnd: and which is the convenient End, seems, in my humble Opinion, to be left toevery Man's Conscience, or at least in the power of the Chief Magistrate todetermine.

Now the Big-Endian Exiles have found so much Credit in the Emperor of Blefuscu'sCourt, and so much private Assistance and Encouragement from their Party here athome, that a bloody War has been carried on between the two Empires for six andthirty Moons with various Success; during which time we have lost forty CapitalShips, and a much greater number of smaller Vessels, together with thirty thousandof our best Seamen and Soldiers; and the Damage received by the Enemy isreckon'd to be somewhat greater than Ours. However, they have now equipped anumerous Fleet, and are just preparing to make a Descent upon us; and hisImperial Majesty, placing great Confidence in your Valour and Strength, hascommanded me to lay this Account of his affairs before you.